Been offered a place at a Scottish University, what do I have to get ready?

thethedev

I'm over the moon but not sure what I need to do, who do I talk to about grants. How will I get the money if I'm abroad? Do I need a passport?
Help please!

talkshowhost

Hi there, well done on getting your place!! Im heading to scotland aswell in sept, as a mature student to Ayr, Uni of West Scotland, cant wait!! Im having the same wonderings about finance and tghat, I still have to get a definitive answer on getting a student loan over there, but i have heard oit should be no problem. Your uni will be able to give you all the answers when you get there. You dont need a passport, but i always bring one when travelling with ryanair, you can never trust them, although a drivers license should also suffice. Other than that, anything else you need you will be able to get over there, even with the exchange rate it is still cheaper to live there- which part are you going to?

haloauto

You apply for grants etc. through SAAS.
http://www.student-support-saas.gov.uk/

They will pay your tuition fees....that's definite.
They may also be able to help with living costs etc.
I'm heading to Stirling myself....pending results.

StradBally

Assuming you are Irish, then SAAS will pay your fees. They pay fees for EU students with the exception of English, Welsh and NI. I think this arrangement is reciprocated by the Irish authorities.

http://www.saas.gov.uk/ - if I remember correctly, by fully completing the registration process you are in fact applying for free fees. Be careful that you complete the registration process fully. You aren't registered until a reference number is assigned to you.

SAAS, as far as I am aware, will not give you a maintenance grant and I don't think that you qualify for a student loan. I think they are only available to UK students - can someone please confirm this!

You need to apply to your local authority for a means tested maintenance grant, eg if you live in Clare you apply to Clare County Council, if you live in Wicklow you apply to Wicklow County Council. There are forms which you must take to the Scottish college when you enrol/matriculate which they must complete and return to the local authority in Ireland. This is just to prove that you are attending the college in Scotland!

There are lots of bursaries around for the Scottish colleges so you might want to contact the college directly and find out about them and if you qualify to apply for any of them.

madmac187

How you doing? I am after accepting a place to Queens above in Belfast. I was looking there about getting student loan but don't know If they would give it to me. Anyone any ideas about grants up there from North of Ireland. I am from the South. Any help will be appreciated.

cazmcco

Hey!!!

Im heading to Scotland in september as well!!!

Stradbally is right is saying that saas will only pay for your fees. You would want to be applying to them now online as there is a deadline date for applications although i dont know when that is.

If you need financial help by way of grants, then you need to apply to your local county council, the same way as you would if you were studying here in ireland. The form is the same and you need all the same information. The only extra thing that i know about so far is that you have to get an extra form filled up by your scotish college on registration. This form is called the SA 1 form and make sure that you ask for it to be sent out in your pack. I didnt get one with mine.

As for passports, make sure to bring one. If you are flying with ryanair, since may last you cannot fly on a driving licence because they have gotten rid of their airport check-in desks. Apart form this you will probably need to bring formal ID on registration with your college and your passport is probably the best. If you dont have a passport already it takes 10 working days using the passport express method to recieve your passport.

Where abouts in scotland are you going?

Best of luck!!!!

thethedev

Thanks for all the advice!
I'll be chatting to my bank shortly about getting a link card so I can take out Sterling.
I have a applied for fees off SAAS and they said they will pay up to £1850 so I'm cleared!
Oh yeah, I'm heading to the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban.
Cant wait now, but I've just gone into panic mode!!